Gathering and loading machine



Dec. 1,1936.

F. CARTLIDGE GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE Original Filed July 26, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l 1, 1936. F. CARTLIDGE I GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE Original Filed July 25, 1933 5 Sh eets-Sheet 2 1, 1936. F. CARTLIDGE GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE Original Filed July 26, 1953 5 Sheebs-Sheet 3 mm w 9v aw g Dec. 1, 1936. F. CARTLIDGE GATHERING AND LOADING- MACHINE Original Filed July 26, 1933 f5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Frank tar/tfiafqe Dec. 1, 1936. F. CARTLIDGE GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed July 26, 1933 Penmana 1; 1 936 PATENT omcs 2.062.555 v Gamma AND Loanmo monms Frank cartlidre, Chicago, 111.. assirnor to .manManuiactni-ing Company, Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Illinois Original application July 26, 1933, Serial No. 682,248. Divided and this application April 19,

1934, Serial No, 721,262.

Renewed February a mm. (01. 198-8) This invention relates to improvements in gathering and loading machines particularly adapted for loading coal at the working face of a mine. 7

Among the objects of my invention are to provide a new and improved loading machine of the class described having a discharge conveyor arranged in a novel manner so that said conveyor may be adjustable both vertically and horizontally and be driven from a single motor and swing from side to side under the control of friction while the conveyor is continuously running in one direction. 1

Other objects of my invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds.

This invention is a division of an application Serial No. 682,248, filed July 26, 1933, and entitled Improvements in gathering and loadin machines.

My invention may more clearly be understood with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged partial fragmentary side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1 with parts broken away and shown in substantially longitudinalsection to 'more clearly show certain details of my invention;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the rearward portion of the discharge conveyor with parts broken away and in section to more clearly show certain details thereof;

Figure 5 is an enlarged partial fragmentary side elevation of the rearward portion of the device shown in Figure 1 to more clearly show certain details of the discharge conveyor;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional' view taken substantially along line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line '|--l of Figure 5; and Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the various figures.

Referring now in particular to the drawings, the main elements of the embodiment of my invention illustrated are the same as those dis- 55 closed in my parent application of which this is a division. and consists of a wheeled truck or main frame In having an inclined gathering and loading element II in front of said main frame, and a discharge conveyor l2 extending from the rear end of said gathering and loading-element 5 -and upwardly and rearwardly therefrom overhanging the rear end of said main frame for dis-' charging material into a suitable receptacle, such as a mine car.

Suitable means are provided for driving the main operating parts, which means herein comprises an electric motor l3. The'electric motor l3 has driving connection with the truck wheels for driving the loading machine about the mine and feeding the loading element It into the material to be loaded. Said electric motor also serves as a driving means for the operating parts vof the gathering and loading element II for raising or lowering said gathering and loading element,'for swinging said gathering and loading element about a vertical axis, and for extending said loading element into orretracting said loading element from the material which is being loaded. The details of the drive to the main operating parts are similar to those disclosed in my aforementioned application of which this is a division, so will not herein be describedin detafl.

The discharge conveyor 12, which extends rearwardly of the truck and main frame I0, is preferably mounted on a frame ll which is supported adjacent its forward end on trunnions l5, I5 carried by a bracket l6 so as to afford rocking movement of said discharge conveyor about a transverse axis and permit the elevation or lowering of the rearward end of said discharge conveyor. The bracket 16 is pivotally mounted on a boss II by means of a. bearing member l8 threaded on the end of a bolt I! carried within said boss, thus affording a pivotal connection for said discharge conveyor and permittirm swinging movement of said discharge conveyor with respect to said main frame.

The rearward portion of the discharge conveyor I2 is supported on rollers 2|, 2| carried by the frame M which ride on the top surface of an arcuate frame or track 20, supported on the main frame ill for vertical adjustment with respect thereto. Said arcuate" frame is supported on the upper end of threaded shafts 23, 23 adjacent opposite ends thereof, which shafts in turn are threaded through the hubs of worm gears 24, 24 journaled in housings 25, 25 secured to the main frame III. A transversely extending shaft 26 is journaled in the housings 25, 25 adjacent its ends and has suitable worms 21, 21

secured thereto. Said worms mesh with and drive the worm gears 24, 24. Said transversely extending shaft 26 is driven from a motor 29 on the main frame It! by a suitable chain and sprocket drive, generally indicated by reference character 39. Thus said discharge conveyor may be pivoted about the axis of the trunnions l5, I5 by power for raising or lowering the rearward end thereof. a

Said discharge conveyor may be of any type well known to those skilled in the art, but is herein shown as being a flight conveyor including a. pair of endless drive: chains 3|, 3| having flights 32 carried therebetween. Said endless chains extend around suitable idler sprockets on a shaft 33 adjacent the rearward end of the frame I 4 and forwardly along the under side of said frame around suitable idler sprockets on a shaft 34 disposed adjacent the forward end of the frame I 4. From the idler sprockets on said shaft 34, said endless chains extend over a suitable plate 35 to and around the idler sprockets on the shaft 33.

A motor, herein shown as being an electric motor 36, is provided for driving the endless drive chains 3|, 3|,and swinging the discharge conveyor 2 from one side of the main frame ID to the other. Said motor is mounted on the frame H in a suitable manner.

The drive from said motor includes a worm 31 on a shaft 38 coaxial with the axis of rotation of a shaft 39 for said motor and driven therefrom. The shaft 38 is journaled in a. suitable housing 40, and said worm meshes with and drives a worm gear 4| freely mounted on a sleeve member 42, which sleeve member is in turn keyed to a hollow drive shaft 43. A ring 44, having integral clutch teeth 45 formed internally thereof, extends outwardly from and is formed integral with the worm gear 4|. Said clutch teeth 45 are adapted to engage a clutch member 46 secured to an end of a shaft 41 carried within the hollow shaft 43. The clutch member 46 has clutch jaws 48 formed integral therewith which are adapted to selectively engage clutch jaws 49 formed integral with the sleeve member 42 upon movement of the shaft 41 with respect to the drive shaft 43 for driving said drive shaft from the worm gear 4|. Sprockets 59, 53 are keyed on the hollow drive shaft 43 and mesh with the endless conveyor chains 3|, 3| for driving said conveyor chains upon rotation of said shaft.

The shaft 41 is shifted to engage the clutch jaws 48 with the clutch jaws 49 or for disengaging said clutch jaws therefrom by means of a suitable clutch collar 5| operated by a clutch fork 52 and hand lever 53 in the usual manner.

A sprocket 54 keyed to the shaft 41 adjacent the clutch collar 5| drives a sprocket 55 on a parallel shaft 56 by means of a drive chain 51. Said parallel shaft 56 is journaled in a suitable frame and housing member 58 mounted on the frame H. A spur gear 59 is freely mounted on said parallel shaft 56 and meshes with an idler gear 60, which idler gear in turn meshes with a spur gear 6| keyed on a shaft 62 parallel to said parallel shaft. Another spur gear 63 is freely mounted on the parallel shaft 56 and meshes with a spur gear 64 keyed to the shaft 62. Suitable clutch mechanism, herein preferably shown as being a jaw clutch member 65, is splined on the parallel shaft 56 and is adapted to selectively connect either of the spur gears 63 or 59 therewith for driving the shaft 62 from the shaft 56 in reverse directions without reversal of the motor 36. A worm 66 is cut integral with the shaft 62 and meshes with-and drives aworm gear 61 keyed on a shaft 69 journaled in the frameand housing member 56. A sprocket 16 is carried by the shaft 69 for free rotation with respect thereto and is operatively connected to said shaft by means of a frusto conical friction member 1|. Said friction member is adapted to be engaged with a corresponding inner periphery of the hub of said sprocket by means of a a compression spring member 12. Said compression spring engages the outer side of said friction member 1| and is held in engagement therewith by a bolt 13 engaging the opposite side thereof and threaded in the end of the shaft 69, thus forming a friction'slip drive for.'said sprocket. Said sprocket 19 is adapted to mesh with a flexible drive chain 14. Said flexible drive chain is secured at its ends to opposite ends of the arcuate frame 26 in a suitable manner and is trained around guide rollers 15, 15 adjacent and on opposite sides of said sprocket 10, thus forming a power operated frictionally controlled means for reversely swinging the discharge conveyor |2 to either side of the truck frame III in a simplified manner (see Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 7). V

It will be seen from the foregoing, that by a simplified arrangement of drive from the motor 36 and a novel arrangement of hollow shafting wherein one shaft acts both as a drive shaft and shifting member, the discharge conveyor may be selectively driven from said motor and may also be swung from side to side under the control of friction in reverse directions without reversal of said motor.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction or arrangement of the various parts may be altered or changed without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting myself to the particular form shown, excepting as it may be limited by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a conveyor frame mounted for swinging movement about a vertical axis, an endless conveyor movable along said frame, and means for driving said endless conveyor and independently swinging said conveyor frame about said vertical axis comprising a transversely disposed hollow shaft mounted in said conveyor frame and forming a drive member for said conveyor, a second shaft extending through said hollow shaft and forming a drive member for swinging said conveyor, clutch means for selectively driving said second shaft from said first shaft, said clutch means being shiftable by translationally moving said second shaft with respect to said first shaft.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a main frame, a conveyor frame mounted thereon for swinging movement about a vertical axis, an endless conveyor carried by and movable along said conveyor frame, and means for driving said endless conveyor and independently swinging said conveyor frame about said vertical axis in reverse directions without reversing the direction of travel of said conveyor comprising a hollow shaft mounted in said conveyor frame and disposed transversely thereof and forming a drive member for said conveyor, a second shaft extending through said hollow shaft, reverse mechanism driven by said second shaft and means driven by said reverse mechanism for swinging said conveyor frame, clutch means for selectively driving said second shaft from said first shaft, and means for shifting said clutch means comprising means for moving said second shaft translationally with respect to said first shaft.

3. In a loading machine of the class described,

a main frame, a discharge conveyor mounted on said main frame for swinging movement with respect thereto in a horizontal plane including a pivotally mounted conveyor frame having an endless conveyor movable therealong, and means for driving said endless conveyor and independently swinging said conveyor frame in a horizontal plane comprising a transversely disposed hollow shaft mounted in said conveyor frame intermediate the ends thereof and forming a drive member for said conveyor, a second shaft carried within said hollow shaft and extending beyond the ends thereof and forming a drive member for swinging said conveyor, clutch means for selectively driving said second shaft from said first shaft, and means for shifting said clutch means comprising means for moving said second shaft transversely of said conveyor frame.

4. In a loading machine and in combination with an inclined gathering and loading element,

a main frame, a discharge conveyor mounted on said main frame for pivotal movement with respect thereto about a vertical axis and extending beyond the rearward end of said main frame, said discharge conveyor including a conveyor frame having an endless conveyor movable therealong, a motor on said conveyor frame, and a drive connection from said motor for pivoting said conveyor frame about said vertical axis and selectively driving said conveyor comprising a transversely disposed hollow shaft driven by said motor and mounted in said conveyor frame intermediate the ends thereof and having means thereon for driving said conveyor, 2. second shaft carried within said hollow shaft and extending beyond the ends thereof, drive means on said second shaft for swinging said discharge conveyor, clutch means for connecting said second shaft with said first shaft, and means for shifting said clutch means comprising means for moving said second shaft transversely of said conveyor frame.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a com veyor frame mounted for swinging movement about a vertical axis, an endless conveyor movable along said frame, and means for driving said endless conveyor and independently swinging said conveyor frame about said vertical axis comprising a motor disposed on one side of said conveyor frame and extending longitudinally thereof, a transversely extending shaft driven thereby, a second transversely extending shaft forming a drive means for said conveyor, a selective drive connection between said shafts including clutch means shiftable by translationally moving said first shaft with respect to said second shaft and a shifting lever for controlling translational movement of said shaft disposed on the opposite side of said frame from said motor, and means for reversely swinging. said conveyor while said conveyor is moving along said frame in one direction comprising drive means on the end of said shaft opposite said motor, reverse mechanism driven from said drive means and clutch mechanism for controlling said reverse mechanism disposed adjacent the side of said frame which is opposite from said motor.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a conveyor frame mounted for swinging movement about a vertical axis, an endless conveyor movable along said frame, and means for driving said endless conveyor and independently swinging said conveyor frame about said vertical axis comprising a motor on one side of said conveyor frame, a shaft mounted in said conveyor frame and disposed transversely thereof and forming a drive member for said conveyor, a second transversely extending shaft driven by said motor, reverse mechanism driven from the end of said second shaft which is opposite from said motor, and means driven by said reverse mechanism for swinging said conveyor frame, clutch means for selectively driving said second shaft from said first shaft, and means for shifting said clutch means comprising means disposed on the opposite side of said frame from said motor for moving said second shaft translationally with respect to said first shaft.

FRANK CARTHDGE. 

